What the 2023 paper asked
The 2023 Essay paper set 8 topics; candidates write two, one from each section, 125 marks and about 1,000–1,200 words each.
Essay paper covers two essays, one from each section of four topics. For how long a scoring answer runs at each mark, see how long toppers actually write.
All 8 topics
Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.
Visionary decision-making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
Not all who wander are lost.
Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.
Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines.
Mathematics is the music of reason.
A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
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Other 2023 papers: GS1 · GS2 · GS3 · GS4 Ethics.
Questions
How many questions were in UPSC Mains 2023 Essay paper?
8 topics, of which candidates write two essays of 125 marks each.
Where can I practise the 2023 Essay questions?
In the practice bank, with a timer set to exam pace. Writing is free with no sign-in; checking an answer against topper answers uses an evaluation (1 free).
Write one, then get it checked.
Write by hand against the clock in the practice bank, then photograph the page: writeupsc puts it beside real topper answers. 1 free evaluation.